Archive | February 29th, 2016

Social pensioners from the 11 barangays of Marilog District, Davao City troop to Barangay Kibalang gym on Friday to claim their social pension for the 1st Quarter of 2016. Over 600 older persons from the district are benefiting from the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens. To date, Davao City has a total of 11,362 social pensioners while Davao Region has 82,531. (DSWD)

Compostela Valley Governor Arturo T. Uy is joined by DSWD Officials from the national and regional Kalahi-CIDSS program management office as he receives the plaque as Best Provincial Local Government Unit implementing Kalahi-CIDSS at the recent 2nd National Bayani Ka! awarding ceremonies.

Manila – “When I assumed my term as the Governor in 2007, I asked myself how am I going to provide sub-projects to all the barangays equally. But through Kalahi-CIDSS, we have addressed the problems of some barangays that can hardly get assistance due to its distance from the provincial government,” shared Compostela Valley Provincial Governor Arturo T. Uy during the recent 2nd National Bayani! Ka awarding ceremonies at Hotel H2O.

Eight years past and his province wins one of Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) most prestigious community development awards.

In 2015, National Bayani Ka! Awards was conferred to Maragusan town being the Best MLGU in Participatory Governance and also to Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer Rey Jaboneta also of Maragusan, as Best PWD Volunteer.

Tested with problems on peace and order, natural and man-made disasters, the province of Compostela Valley was able to withstand the challenges and even recognized by DSWD as the Best Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) Implementing Kalahi-CIDSS in the 2nd National Bayani Ka! Awards.

Kalahi-CIDSS or Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services is one of the core programs of DSWD that aims to empower communities through enhanced participation in local governance and poverty alleviation projects.

The Bayani Ka! Awards is a Social Marketing intitiative of Kalahi-CIDSS that recognizes grassroots heroes and nurtures a pool of community champions.

Other national awardees were Mayor Ramon Orfanel of Catanauan, Quezon Province (Best Municipal Local Government Unit), Narcissa Paraso of Nueva Ecija (Best Barangay Local Government Unit), and Marcelo Gusanan of Sultan Kudarat (Best Volunteer).

Assessing community needs

With a total of 11 towns, prevailing social problems beset the province because not all barangays have basic facilities such as school buildings, day care centers, and health centers.

“I made an inventory in all 235 barangays in the province; 15-20% did not receive any project from the province. And mostly, these areas are the farthest. Moreover, government funds were spent without considering the real needs of the people,” recounted Governor Uy.

Since the start of Kalahi-CIDSS in the province, the governor has demonstrated his all-out support by visiting and monitoring communities especially during sub-project implementation. Further, the province provided beyond the needed cash and in-kind counterpart.

Governor Uy, whose vigour is known as a leader, challenged his fellow Local Chief Executives, “I obliged my people in the province to take heed of their roles and responsibilities as civil servants.”

He added, Kalahi-CIDSS has proven to be not just one of the most effective poverty reduction programs, but it has accomplished a lot in terms of transforming communities and the people.

To date, a total of 444 community projects were successfully mounted in the province through Kalahi-CIDSS.

“In my term as the Governor of the province, the Kalahi-CIDSS program served as my guide in the implementation of projects in different barangays. I implemented counterpart from the people to imbue the community driven development. The more we involve communities, the more they become empowered,” Governor Uy emphasized.

Innovations

Compostela Valley is among the PLGUs that have demonstrated innovations in adopting community driven development (CDD) through its implementation of Assistance Towards Unity for Progress thru Empowerment, Accountability, Cooperation, and Efficiency (ATU-PEACE) program, which was patterned from the Kalahi-CIDSS process.

ATU–PEACE was conceptualized in April 2008 to assist local communities in addressing the needs of the constituents by establishing easily accessible and immediately needed projects.

The Asian Development Bank, the funding institution of Kalahi-CIDSS, chose Compostela Valley, along with the Province of Albay, as pilot area for PLGU Engagement as it has supported the CDD strategy since the start of Kalahi-CIDSS in the province.

“Kalahi-CIDSS makes for good politics because the province will submit requirements needed based on the program’s guideline. I highly commended and appreciated its concept because it allows the barangays to prioritize sub-projects through proper consultation and participatory approach in the community,” Governor Uy pointed out.

He added that the program is their springboard of technical expertise, the source of province’s inspiration in terms of touching people’s lives.

To date, a total grant of Php 320,979,000.00 has been accessed to the province for basic infrastructure and community development projects.

“With the province’s constant partnership with DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS and the community, a better quality of life for Comvaleños is not too far ahead,” Governor Uy concluded. (DSWD)

Manila – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – Kalahi-CIDSS Region XI garnered three awards during the 1st Gawad Kalahi Awards and Project Review and Evaluation Workshop held at Hotel H2O.

Gawad Kalahi Awards aims to recognize all the efforts of internal Kalahi-CIDSS workers based on program operation and implementation.

DSWD XI Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat together with Assistant Regional Director for Administration Ma. Vilia L. Vigil, and the members of Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) received the awards from DSWD Undersecretary for Operations and Programs Group Camilo G. Gudmalin and Kalahi-CIDSS National Program Manager Benilda E. Redaja.

Region XI received three awards namely: Gawad Kalahi for Innovation and Breakthrough in Community Driven Development Management, Best Performing Region in Government of Australia – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (GOA-DFAT) Implementation, and Best Performing Region under Small Category.

Undersecretary Gudmalin acknowledged the efforts of each region in bringing Community-Driven Development into fruition.

“The efforts of the implementers in different regions are motivations to keep on striving to do more. Through simple acts, we can achieve something big. Through Community Driven Development, let us work together to make something great,” Undersecretary Gudmalin emphasized in his welcome remarks.

To date, Kalahi-CIDSS operates in five provinces in Region XI. The program is in 27 municipalities with a total community cash grant of Php 347.09 million.

Kalahi-CIDSS or Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services is a community driven development program of the Philippine Government aiming to empower people through sustainable development, enhanced participation in local governance, and management of poverty alleviation projects.

The Kalahi-CIDSS annual review and evaluation workshop is conducted to revisit program implementation of regional offices. It is a venue to provide program updates and direction for the following cycle year implementation.(DSWD)